Electric heater



o. An COLBY ELECTRIC HEATER Filed Sept. 2. 1922 i l) lIIlIIIIITIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJIIIIIIIIlIIIIIl INVENTOR Ora Colby.

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. l5, 1924.

UNITEDy STATES 1,480,667 PATENT QFFICE.

ORA A. COLBY, OF IRWIN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WSTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING CQMPAN Y, A CORPORATION F PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC HEATER.

Application led September 2, 1922. Serial No. 585,844.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORA A. CoLaY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Irwin, in the county of Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Heaters, of which the followingv is a specification.

My invention relates to electricl heaters, and particularly. to electric air heaters.

' One object of m invention is to provide a relatively simp e, wrug d and compact structure for an electric air heater.

Another object of my invention is to provide a structure for an electric heater that shall permitl of easily and quickly changing tlie resistor units in case of repairs or when it is desired to change the amount of energy translated into heat. g

In practicing my invention, I 'provide a casing havin a base upon which are opera tively secure two spaced, parallel, and coextensive insulating bars. Flat terminal members are clamped between the 'two parallel bars adjacent to the ends thereof andl extending therebeyond. A plurality of i resilient terminal clipsl are secured against each of the terminal members inbackto back relation. A plurality of refractory .resistor members are supported in spaced' relation by the resilient terminal clips.

In the single sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a view, in longitudinal section, of a device embodying my invention, taken on the line I-I of Fig. 3; Y Fig. 2 is an end View thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a view in lateral section thereof,I

taken on the line III- III of Fi 1.

An electric heater, designated generally by the numeral 11, comprises a suitable base 12 which may be of any refractory material. A cover member may comprise a bottom plate 13 suitably secured against one edge of the base plate 12 and a top cover portion 14 having one edge thereof operatively engag-l i'ng the other edge of the base plate 12, and having its other edge operatively engaging one edge of the plate 13. A plurality of members 15, of substantially L-shape, may be provided to more securely hold the cover members 13 and 14 against the base plate 12.

edge thereof operatively engaging the base against each of the terminal members 18 by rivets 22.

A pluralityl of, refractory resistor,rods 23, having metallic tubular terminal members 24 secured thereto at the ends thereof, are operatively supported by the spring clips 21. The terminal members 24 are not' a necessary part of the resistor members,`

but where the ener translated into heat becomes relatively' arge, the use of such metallic terminal members with a carbonaceous resistor rod is advisable in order to prevent overheating of the ends of the rod.

he terminal clips 21 not only support the resistor rods but also conduct current thereto and permit of easily and quickly removing andreplacing the' rods whenever necessary.

An insulating bushing 25 may be provided in the end wall 26 of the heater 11, toper, mit of leading therethrough supply-circuit conductors,` not shown, one of which may be connected to the terminal bar 18 at the righthand end of the heater and the other of which may be connected to the left-.hand terminal bar 18.

Suitable means for securing the heater 11 in proper operative position relatively to the device or the space in which it is to be located may be provided, as for instance, a plurality of openings 27 in the upper rtion of the cover member 14 to permit o securingthe heater against a suitable supporting surface by means of bolts and nuts.

The device embodyin my invention provides a relatively simp e, rugged and compact structure for resiliently and removably supporting a plurality of refracto resistor rods. The amount of energy trans ated into heat may be easily and quickly varied b employing either one or two refracto ro s or y employing diiferent rods, of di erent electrical resistances. For instance, it is posy sible to obtain standard carbonaceous resistor rods having a resistance of approxiein' .mately i000 ohms and if one of these rods is employed in the heater when used on 600 volt street-car circuit, approximately 50 'will 'be translated into heat.- If two resistor rods are employed, substantially l0@ watts will be translated into heat. This amount of energy* translated into heat has been iiound sufficient to maintain the temperature ot the usual controlling device located beneath the floor of a street car at such temperature as will permit of the pneumatic devices operating properly even` in relatively cold weather. The use of resistor rods having lower electrical resistance willV permit or the translation of a larger amount of energy without it being necessary to change any other part of the structure.

Various modifications may be made in the device embodying my invention without departing; from the spirit and scope thereof, and I desire that only such limitations shall be placed thereon, as are imposed by the prior art or are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

ll claim as my invention l. In an electric heater, in combination` a pair or parallel, co-extensive, insulating bars, terminal members clamped between and supported by said bars, resistor supporting means carried by said terminal mem-` bers, and refractory resistor rods supported by said resistor-supporting means.

2. In an electric heater, in combination, a pair of parallel, co-extensive, insulating bars, terminal members clamped between and supported by said bars, resilient currentconducting and resistor-supporting members earried by said terminal members, and rev base, a pair of spaced, parallel, eo-extensive insulating bars having a narrow edge engaging said base, terminal members clamped between said bars at the ends thereof and eX- tending therebeyond, a plurality of resilient terminal clipssecured to each of the terminal members on opposite sides thereof, and a pair of refractory resistor rods removably supported at their ends by said terminal clips.

5. In an electric heater, in combination, a base, a pair of spaced parallel, co-extensive insulating' bars each having a narrow edge enga-ging said base, means extending between said Ibars for securing them against said base, fiat terminal members clamped between said bars at the ends thereof'and extending therebeyond, a plurality of resilient terminal yclips secured to each of the terminal members inv back-to-back relation, a pair of refractory resistor rods removably supported at their ends by said clips and a cover member supported by said base.l

In testimony whereof` I have hereunto subscribed my name this 17th dayof August,

. ORA A. CULB Y. 

